The Fairest of Them All
by pheonixfire123
Summary: Jame's has been enamoured with her for years, and Lily tries to ignore him, but Lily is about to have her whole world turned upsidedown, all because they've decided to do a school play at Hogwarts this year Snow White Read and reply! I'd love feedback!
1. Chapter one

~*~*~*~  
  
The year was 1974. It was the summer of love, as muggles remember it. For Lily Evans it was a summer marked by two horrible things. One being her sister's marriage to a despicable man, Vernon Dursley, whom firmly disapproved of anything out of the norm. The second horrible thing was actually a series of awful attacks made on a sizable amount of the wizarding community, by a man who fancied himself "Lord Voldemort". Needless to say, everything was not all sunshine and rainbows for Lily, as she most sincerely looked forward to returning to school. The summer had been crawling by at an abominably slow rate. She had already received her Hogwarts letter, and had gotten all of her school things. Her mother had even bought her an owl for making Head Girl. Lily had spent many hours in her room with the window thrown wide open, watching the Brady Bunch half- heartedly, and waiting for her friends to write her from where they had all gone vacationing.  
  
But finally, September first came around, and Lily found herself once again staring at the impossibly solid looking barrier between platform 9 and 10.  
  
'This is the last time I'll be walking through this barrier as a student,' she thought sadly. Hogwarts had always been like a second home to her, since her sister had always done her best to make Lily feel unwelcome in their parents house, ever since she got her first letter. She swept her long auburn hair out of her face and pushed her trolly, holding her trunk, and Audrey, which is what she had recently christened the sleek, dark owl. She started walking slowly towards the barrier, waving goodbye one last time to her parents.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Lily sat in the Head car, waiting for Head Boy to show up. She knew who it was, of course. Her friend Alice's mother had some connections at Hogwarts, and she had informed Lily that her partner in authority was none other than James Potter. This had not surprised Lily in the least. Though Potter had an awful habit of getting himself into the worst kind of mischief, he was brilliant in all of his classes, and had Dumbledore in his back pocket.  
  
The frosty glass door slid open, and in sauntered James, looking quite pleased with himself over something or other. He caught sight of Lily and the self indulgent grin on his face widened.  
  
"To what do I owe the pleasure?" He asked, trying to kiss her hand, which he had gotten ahold of somehow. Lily quickly snatched it back.  
  
" Cut the crap, Potter." She rolled her eyes. James was always going out of his way to try and woo her. It had gotten quite ridiculous over the past couple years. He was good looking enough, and Lily might have even considered taking him up on his offers to take her out, if only he wasn't so egotistical. The guy was always messing up his hair, because he thought it made him look dashing, and whenever he asked her out, it was always in the most annoying ways. He would ask her in his "I'm James Potter, I'm irresistible, You can't say no to me" voice, which always drove Lily mad, because she hated being patronized like that, even if he didn't realize his arrogance.  
  
"What?" He asked, ruffling his hair, yet again. "So Lily, me and you, Head Boy and Girl, who woulda thunk it?"  
  
"It's 'you and I' not 'Me and You', and now that you bring it up, I don't know who in their right mind schemed this up, but they must have been completely daft."  
  
"Oh come on, you know you secretly have a thing for me..don't you?" He inquired, with innocent eyes. She burst out laughing. She had to admit, he wasn't all bad, sometimes she even thought he was kind of charming, but then--  
  
"Of course you do, Lily my dear, and I'll tell you why." He answered his own question after she remained silently laughing. "You can't resist a man in uniform," He smiled winningly at her, and she snorted.  
  
"Uniform? What uniform?" She shot back, giggling. "The school uniform doesn't count Potter, and if I couldn't resist a man in uniform I would have had my way with half of the school by now, wouldn't I?"  
  
"Come on, when are you going to put me out of my misery and give me a date, gorgeous?"  
  
"When you stop calling me that, and learn my name."  
  
"Lily, Lily Lily Lily Lily Lily," he chanted at her. "See? I know your name. Now will you go out with me?"  
  
"No." 'Really, he is so incorrigible. *maybe you should say yes* What? No, of course not, that wouldn't' do at all. *look at those gorgeous hazel eyes* I am NOT thinking about Potter's eyes! What is Wrong with me?? Where are all of the other prefects? Oh yeah, we have to organize the meeting in the car first. Stupid James, distracting me from--'  
  
"But you just said if I learned your name you would," he interrupted, pouting. ' *It's not natural for a grown boy to look so sexy pouting* I DID NOT just think of James as sexy! I did NOT just call him James! Uggh!!'  
  
"We're supposed to be planning the prefects meeting, remember?" And so they did, and the rest of the trip passed much as the first ten minutes had. He kept flirting with her, or trying to at least, and she kept putting him in his place.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
In McGonagall's Office  
  
"Now, you two will be responsible for a great deal in running this school. You are in charge of all of the Prefect's meetings, unless otherwise informed. You will help in planning feasts, as well as decorations. If you would care organize one, you could have a Ball, though most Head's don't to take on the challenge. You will also supervise the prefects doing rounds. Do you have any questions?"  
  
"Yes," replied James, surprising Lily. "What would you say, if I suggested we put on a play at Hogwarts?" Lily frowned. 'A play? Why does Potter want to put on a play?'  
  
"Well Mr. Potter, I'd say if you'd like to organize it then I see no problem with it. Though I'd need to approve the play, and we'd have to discuss where it will be held, and so forth. Did you have anything in mind?"  
  
He looked at Lily with a hungry expression. "Sleeping Beauty, maybe? Or Beauty and the Beast..Or Snow White," he said, his eyes traveling down her neck and drinking in her creamy white complexion. 'Ok, now I understand. He's using this as another flimsy scheme to ask me out, or spend time with me, or flatter me or something.'  
  
"Yes, Snow White sounds good," He finished. 'Oh brother.'  
  
"Well Mr. Potter, you organize it, and inform me of the schedule, when you play to hold auditions and so forth. I see no problem with it. But don't let this conflict with your quidditch practice, I've gotten quite accustom to having the cup in my office, and I'd hate to see it go."  
  
"No problem, Professor," Her mouth twitched, and Lily could almost guarantee the she had been holding back a smile. 'It's disgusting how he's got the professors wrapped around his little finger. '  
  
"Well, you two should be getting to bed. Start of term tomorrow. Good evening."  
  
After they had left her office Lily rounded on James. "What in the name of *Merlin* was that all about? A *play* Potter? Just what are you up to with this?" He came to a halt and ran his eyes over her face, presumably taking in her lovely rosy cheeks, her sparkling green eyes, that were now glinting with suspicion, and her pouty red lips.  
  
"Well, I've taken an interest in theatre of late, if you're dying to know. My mum took me to see some musicals over summer, and it looked like fun. Not the music part, of course, I can't carry a tune in a bucket, but the acting bit." He was absently twirling his fingers in her hair, and she chose that moment to notice.  
  
Slapping his hands away, she said "You mean the attention bit," though her insult seemed to lack it's usual bite. So Potter has a sensitive side, huh? They continued walking.  
  
He laughed his easy, relaxed laugh, *that's oddly endearing* she thought, though she didn't care to admit that she found any part of James Potter, endearing. They reached the portrait hole, and he stopped. He turned to her, his hazel eyes twinkling.  
  
"So, about the play, well, I think I want to put on Snow White. You know that story, right? But there's a problem with that."  
  
"Yeah, I know the story. What's the problem?" She asked, genuinely curious.  
  
"Well, you see, Snow White is the 'fairest of them all', and I'm afraid it will be entirely impossible to let anybody but you play the part." He said, totally sincere. He brought his hand up to her face, he couldn't help himself, and gently caressed her cheek, which proved to be as soft as it looked.  
  
Lily swallowed hard. 'What is WRONG with me? He's just playing his usual game' "And why is that?" He was quite surprised that she hadn't jumped away at his touch. He frowned slightly, causing a cute crease between his eyebrows.  
  
"Because you are the fairest of them all, Lily." He said this simply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.  
  
"Right, um.." She tried to come up with some witty, biting comment, but found her mind to be quite blank. *that was the sweetest thing anybody has ever said to you, Lil, say something NICE for once!* "Thanks, I guess, " she replied, awkwardly. "I suppose we should be getting inside. Faery Dust." she mumble the password, and the portrait swung open. This was going to be an interesting year.  
  
~*~*~*~ 


	2. Chapter two

Lily awoke the next morning to find sunlight streaming through her curtains. Confused, she sat up and looked around her.  
  
"Where are my curtains...?" She wondered aloud groggily. Then she remembered. *Oh yeah, I'm head girl*. It was tradition for both the Head Girl, and the Head Boy to get private rooms. She glanced around her at her new environment. The room was not very big, there was enough space to move freely with a double bed, a desk, and a bureau, with a little space to spare. It was nice to have her own room, Lily admitted, but she would miss rooming with her two best friends, Alice Prewett, who she had met on the Hogwarts Express in first year, and Sandra Burnette, who had been too busy applying her makeup on the Hogwarts Express to do much mingling.  
  
Lily dragged herself out of bed and into her bathroom, which she had to admit, was the best part about being head girl. No more sharing, no more having to make appointments to use the prefect's bathroom. It was all hers.  
  
It was 8:30 by the time she got out of the shower, and Lily had to rush to get ready in time to make it downstairs for breakfast. She dressed in her school uniform, and giggled remembering Potter's remark about a man in uniform. Then she remembered herself, and stopped giggling. *Potter? Why in the world am I thinking of Potter at this ungodly hour??* she though, incredulously. She laughed it off, and finished getting dressed. Muttering a quick drying spell on her long red hair, she ambled out of the room, and made her way out of the common room.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Hey Lil!" Yelled Alice, from where she was sitting down the table. Lily made her way over to her. "Good morning Head Girl," she giggled. She still hadn't gotten over her friend's new position.  
  
"Hey," she smiled. Alice was, as always, ridiculously cheery considering the early hour. Lily glanced at Sandra, and was happy to see that she was not the only one in desperate need of caffeine. "How was your Holiday?" she shot at Alice, she had barely had a chance to talk to them at the feast the night before, because she had had to make sure all of the prefects new the password, and then she had been swept off to McGonagall's office for their meeting.  
  
"It was a blast! We went to this adorable little village in France, and there was so many wine vineyards, and practically everywhere we went people were offering us wine, and I met this adorable muggle bloke there, Paul, and he snuck me out to go to this muggle music concert. Muggle music is very odd, but it was fun anyways. I had a little wine to drink, and I was giggling like mad the whole night." She gushed on and on about her Parisian Holiday, and Lily smiled sweetly.  
  
She wished she could have gone on a Holiday that summer, but instead she had been forced to stay home for nearly the entire thing because Petunia just HAD to have an August wedding. Her entire Holiday had beet scattered with dress fittings and rehearsals, and stupid wedding showers, during which she had to pretend she could stand her sister. Petunia, however, did not have to make much of a pretense, and whenever their mother had been out of earshot, was horribly mean to Lily.  
  
15 minutes later the bell rang, and they all made their way to transfiguration.  
  
"What do we have after this" Sandra asked, much less sleepy than she had been earlier after drinking 3 cups of coffee.  
  
"Ummm, we have History of Magic, and Herbology. Then I have Arithmancy after lunch, and you two have divination," she replied.  
  
"Oh goodie," mumbled Sandra, examining some imaginary split ends in her hair. "Binns THIS early in the morning? Why don't they just call that class naptime and have done with it?" Lily and Alice laughed at this. Professor Binns' classes were notoriously boring and dull.  
  
As they were leaving the Entrance Hall, Potter and his friends walked by. Just when Lily thought he would pass her without incident, and turned on his heal and strode over to her, completely unfazed by her friend's presence.  
  
"Good morning, beautiful. How are you on this fine morning?" He really did have a tendency to over due it on the formalities.  
  
"Good morning," she replied, rolling her eyes. Not wanting to be rude, but really not wanting to talk to him at the moment, she tried to get out of the conversation politely. " I'm great, now if you'll excuse me," and she made a valiant effort at walking away, but to no avail.  
  
"Oh come on Lil, I didn't come over here just to flatter you with compliments, though that would be reason enough. I need to talk to you." She looked at him dubiously.  
  
"What about?" she asked, though she had a pretty good idea that he wanted to talk to her about his little play thingy.  
  
He grinned, " It's a secret..please? Can I just have one moment of your precious time? Come on," He was turning on the charm big time, and though she was immune to it, she thought she'd hear him out anyways.  
  
"Oh all right. You two go on, I'll be along in a minute." James' smile grew even wider, though it didn't seem physically possible. He grabbed her arm and led her over to an alcove near a tapestry with a very ugly gremlin on it, looking in a crystal ball.  
  
Lily's arm tingled where his hand was, and she realized she was getting tingles from Potter touching her. *Oh my gosh! What is WRONG with me?* she thought, very confused.  
  
"So, what is it that you wanted? I haven't got all day you know, and if you make me late for Transfiguration I'm not going to be happy." He seemed unfazed by this and just continued gazing at her with his striking hazel eyes.  
  
"Well, besides a date with the prettiest girl in school..no not just in school, definitely throughout the whole of England," she rolled her eyes. " I've been thinking about the play, which I know you're going to help me with, seeing as you're Head Girl, and I simply couldn't organize it without you. I'm going to have to hold auditions and all, and seeing as the play is called Snow White, it occurred to me that every girl in this palace is going to want to audition for your part."  
  
"I haven't been casted in the part yet, Potter. There's the little bit about me accepting that you're forgetting."  
  
"But Lily," he said, with a distinct whine in his voice, that was unnaturally cute. "I need you to play the part. And not just because you're gorgeous and you look the part. You're the only one who could act the part," he finished, with certainty.  
  
"And exactly how did you determine that I can act?"  
  
"Well, because you're muggle born. You grew up watching movies and seeing plays and looking up to actors. Probably none of the wizard borns in here have ever even HEARD of Disney. Wizards aren't renoun for their wondrous acting ability."  
  
"That's rubbish, and you know it James." *you just said his name! Omg!*. He grinned at this. "You know what? Unless you audition every single girl in this castle that wants the part, I won't even consider it. That's completely unfair to everybody else, me getting the part just because you're a git who cant' take no for an answer."  
  
James -urm-POTTER sighed in mock defeat. "Alright, if it's what you want. But you should know that I'll be wasting me time. I've already found my Snow White." They were going to be late to McGonagall's class if they didn't hurry, so they rushed up the stairs and down the corridor to her class. They just barely made it in time, and both received very suspicious looks at being so very late at the same time, and coming in together.  
  
The day passed relatively uneventfully, and after dinner, Lily returned to the common room to find a group of students crowding around the notice board. She made her way over to it and found the reason. There was a notice that said:  
  
"Snow White  
The play, to be put on at  
Hogwarts this winter.  
Auditions are Wednesday, for all interested.  
Bring yourself to the Great Hall at 8 pm  
Parts to be cast:  
  
Snow White  
Evil Queen  
Swordsman  
Seven dwarves  
Prince Charming"  
  
Lily smiled. She decided that she would audition for the part of Snow White. Otherwise she couldn't accept it, and being in a play did sound like some fun.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
That night James and the Marauders made a trip to the kitchens, for old time sake, and hole themselves up in James' room to plan their newest prank, now with a very large stock of butterbeer and pastries.  
  
"So James, how goes it with Lily?" Remus asked, with a telltale smirk on his face. They were all very aware that James had a huge crush on Lily. He had for years. Unfortunately, or perhaps Intelligently, the girl didn't seem to want to give him the time of day.  
  
"She loves me, I know it. She's just playing hard to get."  
  
"Give it up mate," Serius shot back, "The girl prefers a giant squid to you."  
  
"Ehh, a small inconvenience. Give it time Padfoot, I've got a feeling this is the year she'll come around."  
  
"And I've got a feeling that arrogant attitude isn't helping things along," Remus interjected. Peter laughed nervously at this. He wasn't much for intelligent conversation, and rarely had anything to add to the conversation.  
  
"So, are you going to ask her to Hogsmead next weekend?" Serius asked, though he already knew the answer. "But of course," replied James. "Easy question, mate, the hard one is whether or not she'll say yes this time. I'm putting my money on yes, of course." Serius and Remus chuckled, and Peter laughed too, but a bit late.  
  
"So, what do you say to bewitching the silverware to jumping out of reach whenever somebody reaches for them?" suggested Serius.  
  
"The idea's got merit, but what if the knives jump into somebody's eye?" asked Remus, only partially concerned.  
  
"Blunting charm" answered James absently.  
  
"Good one Prongs!" replied Serius, writing something down on a slip of parchment.  
  
~*~*~*~*~ 


End file.
